Tom Beaulieu

You can imagine the high cost of that, replacing all the seniors’ homeownership units across the Territories. Can the Minister commit to directing his staff and the NWT Housing Corporation to develop a program that targets core need housing for seniors’ home repairs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation regarding targeted seniors housing programs.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise me if seniors are still the highest core need group in housing across the Territories? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the lack of streetlights in the smaller communities. This is another example of something that’s taken for granted in the larger centres, but is an issue in many of our smaller communities.

Mr. Speaker, when the New Deal was struck between MACA and the communities, all things were not equal. Many of the small communities had, and still have, huge infrastructure deficits. Mr. Speaker, under the current infrastructure funding formula these communities are not able to initiate a proper infrastructure program that will allow them to catch up...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When you talk about lights, there are a lot of analogies that can be made. I’m listening to some of those. When the New Deal was formed and the New Deal was signed, because there was a relationship between the Power Corporation and this government through MACA, I suspect that was included in the formula when the New Deal was signed by the communities. Can the Minister tell me if he’s prepared to commit to going back to the formula in the New Deal and to see -- apparently this is a fairly expensive proposition – if lights were actually included in the infrastructure...

Could the Minister advise me if at the time when Municipal and Community Affairs had the responsibility to deal with the Power Corporation on street lighting, if the department has some sort of regulations, policies or formula for how many streetlights are needed to light up a street, how far between and so on? Any sort of regulation?

Mr. Speaker, this is a safety issue for residents and it’s time for this government to sit down in the small communities and resolve this long-standing issue. Today I’ll have questions for the Minister of MACA following the statements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 8, Social Work Profession Act. The committee wishes to report that Bill 8, Social Work Profession Act, is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

Mr. Speaker, the committee further wishes to report that it has reviewed Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act. The Standing Committee on Social Programs wishes to report Bill 4 to Committee of the Whole and recommends that it not proceed further as committee has concerns about the use of administrative...

Since as an Assembly we really don’t have access to or any way of dealing with the NWT Power Corporation on this issue, I would like to know if the Minister could commit to having his department work with the municipalities and the NWT Power Corporation to have some of the lights installed in key places in the communities where the streets are not lit up at all.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I talked about the streetlights in smaller communities or the lack thereof on the roadways. Especially now with winter coming, we all know that there is limited sunlight, it’s very dark, and it’s quite terrible, actually, especially when I go there in the wintertime. I can’t walk around much later than 6:00 in some of the areas of Lutselk’e and Fort Res because of darkness. I’d like to ask the Minister, I understand that at one time the NWT Power Corporation used to install lights on the poles and then charge the municipality for the kilowatt usage. I’d...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to acknowledge Tony Whitford and recognize him for all of his tireless work working for the people of the North, working for the Assembly and I think that Tony did truly work for the people of the North. It seemed like everywhere I travelled -- I have been to all of the communities in the North also -- everywhere I have travelled, it seems like people know Tony.

I don’t even know how I got to meet Tony, actually. One day I just knew him. Maybe that is a way in which Tony presents himself to people. It seems like when you meet Tony, you actually already...